Tutankhamun

and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

Past Event: 8 April 2011 to 4 December 2011

Canopic Coffinette of Tutankhamun

The Tutankhamun exhibition comes to Australia for the first time.

Revel in the splendour of Ancient Egypt as you view a dazzling array of possessions unearthed from the boy king’s tomb. See Tutankhamun’s golden canopic coffinette and the crown found on his head when the tomb was discovered. Learn about the extraordinary discovery of the tomb and the belief and burial processes of ancient Egypt. View results from the latest scientific testing conducted on Tutankhamun’s mummy and what it is telling researchers about his life and death.

The exhibition has drawn over seven million visitors in the United States and Europe in the past five years.

Melbourne Museum is the only Australian venue to host the exhibition.

Egypt 3DWatch this 3D film about the work of researchers, explorers and scientists to unwrap the secrets of the pharaohs. Showing in the Museum Theatre, tickets are $8.50 from the venue or Ticketek.

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Comments (492)

I recall visiting the Museum about 20-25 years ago to see the Treasures of King Tut's Tomb. The sarcophagus, the Golden Throne and the magnificent face mask along with many other exciting artifacts were on display. How can this be advertised as the FIRST TIME in Australia? Tut Tut!! Will most certainly be going to view them them again. Well done.

I know that you have answered this question, in a way, but being WHEELCHAIR bound, are there packages that provide for Wheelchair bound individuals, especially in the accomodation, and is the entire exhibit wheelchair accessable?

Just wondering if there's a discount for Museum Victoria members. You mention that there is on your web site, which directs you to the booking site - where there's no information at all. Can you help please. Thanks

Hi Helen, sorry about the delay in our response about members' tickets. Information about these can be found on the Touring Exhibitions page of the MV Members site.

Corine
5 November, 2010 21:27

Should we get a confirmation email when we pre-register. It said that the details went through but I got no email to confirm. I worry that I might miss out. It didn't ask how many tickets I want. When should I expect a response?

Hi Dawn, this exhibition has not been to Australia before, although a small number of the over 130 objects have been seen previously. Another show, called Gold of the Pharaohs did visit Australia from 1988 to 1989. This exhibition didn't include artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb, but focused on the material from royal tombs of the 21st and 22nd Dynasties.

The Treasures of Tutankhamun toured in the 1970's and early 1980’s. It began at the British Museum in London, followed by a seven city tour of the United States where eight million people visited. It eventually went to Europe in the 1980's but the exhibition did not go to Australia.

The exhibition in the Touring Hall will feature just over 130 original artefacts – 50 from the tomb of Tutankhamun and the rest from other ancient Egyptian sites. These objects have been carefully chosen to tell a comprehensive story about Tutankhamun and Ancient Egypt before and during his reign and are from the collection of the Cairo Museum, travelling with the permission of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

There is an additional display area where the latest research and forensic analysis on Tutankhamun’s death is also presented, including an exact 3D replica of Tut’s mummified body.

Sandra
22 November, 2010 22:47

I am a Museum Victoria member and have pre-registered for the Tutankhamun exhibition and am disappointed that members are not the first to access tickets (as stated in the members benefits). Today, a week before members get access to tickets I can book them through Visa.

Hi Michael, there is a difference for Age Pension cards compared to Seniors Cards. Any holder of a Commonwealth Age Pension card will receive the discounted concession rate at all times. Any holder of just a Commonwealth Seniors Card (for 60+ years) with no pension card, will be eligible for the discounted concession rate on a Wednesday only.

Hi Sandra, the Visa Presale promotion for visa card holders commenced early this week. The Museum Victoria Membership Presale promotion will start from 9am Thursday 25 November to 5pm Sunday 28 November. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday the 29th. Information on the presale offer will be sent out via an email to members this Thursday. At the same time, there will also be information loaded on to the MV Members section of the website. Members will be able to buy tickets at the special member price.

We are coming from Sydney for a few days and then going home to Perth8 when the show is on. But have no idea what day or time we would be able to go. Will it be hard to just go to the Museum and purchase tickets at the door?

Hi Mary & Julie, we do not yet have details about the 3D film. Information regarding ticket purchase to this (and times) should be available when tickets go on sale to the public. If you preregister you will receive information soon about ticket sales. We highly recommend that you book in advance as tickets will sell out very quickly and there is no guarantee that they will be available when you arrive at the door.

I became a member relying upon your representation that members would be able to purchase tickets before the general public. Visa pre-sale ticketing has now closed and still nothing from you as to member purchases. Very disappointed and fearful that we will now miss out on our preferred time as we are travelling from Brisbane especially. I should have purchased through ticketek and saved on your membership fee!

I agree with Dawn Charles - about 20-25 years ago I saw a Tut exhibition in Sydney and I distinctly remember seeing the face mask and other awesome stuff. I have the book to prove it too. Nevertheless, am still hoping to see it again, and bring the kids.

I pre-registered and logged on to ticketek to buy tikets but they are only available up to 17th July - info on your website says the exhibition runs until November. Why can't I buy tickets for a later date (I actually wanted the week after). I don't want to not buy any in the hope that they will become available later and miss out altogether.

We are coming from Brisbane to see the exhibition. I have booked gift voucher tickets to exchange for a date/time for when we are able to fly down. If flights go on sale should i book my time/date of entry to the museum before I book flights or could I book flights with some certainty that i would be able to book in to one entry slot within a 2 day period? If i book in for a certain date/time can this be changed if i am unable to get flights for that day and have to change my flight to another day? Thanks.

the whole idea of presale was the be notified when the tickets are on sale. why after I pre-registered for presale a long time ago did i not receive any information about the presale until 3 days AFTER it started?

Hi Samantha, we can't advise how fast or when tickets will sell out but there's certainly a possibility that they could sell out days ahead of time. It's up to you but we would highly recommend booking well in advance.

Will the souvenir hard cover book be available to purchase on the day I attend the exhibition? As I prepurchased my audio and 3d tickets, now I see the book is available but with the audio ticket included. I don't need 2 audio tickets...but would dearly love to purchase the hard cover book...Thanks

The exhibition organisers have partnered with Melbourne Museum – which presented the recent blockbuster exhibitions A Day in Pompeii and Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition – to present Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at its only Australian venue.

We have confirmed with IMG that the following emails did actually go out:

Monday 22nd November – Email sent at 9am to every pre-registered customer who ticked the Visa box to say they had a Visa card so they could book straight away

Thursday 25th November – Pre-registration stopped prior to 9am and email sent at 9am to everyone who pre-registered who did not tick the Visa box and also anyone who signed up between Monday 22nd and Wednesday 24th November so they could book straight away

The company responsible for sending the emails has checked their system and an email was sent to everyone on the database on the correct day.

We are not sure what happened with your email – we recommend checking your inbox and junk mail again and looking at all emails from Ticketek on those dates.

Hi Lyn, if you are pre-booking with a Visa card, Visa Entertainment is pre-selling vouchers for the Souvenir Programme and Catalogue with their packages. This is exclusive to Visa Card Holders only and can be purchased through the Ticketek website.You can also buy the Catalogue through the shop at the museum when the exhibition opens.

I think some people are getting confuse about this exihibtion. The Gold Of the Pharaohs was the name of the egyptian exibit that was out about 20-25years ago not Tut & it was treasure from the Tanis pharaohs & a pharaoh by the name of Psusennes 1. There was a golden mask in the exibition, not anything to do with TUTANKHAMUN at all.I hope that help people.

hi, i just purchased a gift voucher to the exhibition however when buying the standard ticket it would not allow me to add on the 3D movie or Audio tour. Can tickets for these two extras be purchased on the day at the venue?

@ Discovery Centre ...
I just wanted to say that I believe you deserve a medal for all your good work replying to peoples questions. You amaze me. Your fast, efficient, and always seem to be able to point people in the right direction, no matter how unruly some seem to get. I commend you. You deserve a raise..and again.. Thank you.

We have booked to see the King Tut exhibition in July. I wanted to also book for the 3D film but on Ticketek it looked as though the movie was only at 7am. In retrospect the movie is probably on all day from 7am. Can we pay to see the 3D film on the day? We live in Brisbane and are really looking forward to this exhibition.

Hi Barbara, we are looking forward to the exhibition too! You can buy tickets to the 3D movie onsite and the film will be running in a loop throughout the day. Places are still limited and patrons will need to join the queue for the next session once they've purchased their tickets.

Hi there, I've read through all your answers to the questions and have got to say that you've done a FANTASTIC job of getting back to people A.S.A.P. Well done! Not many other sites do this and on behalf of everyone, Thank you very much for taking the time to do this.
On that note, This question has been raised and answered in many forms on many occassions. But, being a little paranoid, I need to know... The concession rate, Does this include a NSW Disability Support Pension? Or in that case, Disability Support Pension from all states, or is just an Aged Pension?

Hi David, the Anubis statue will not be touring but the exhibition features just over 130 original artefacts that were carefully chosen to tell a comprehensive story about Tutankhamun, as well as Ancient Egypt before and during his reign. Fifty of these artefacts came from Tutankhamun’s tomb. The exhibition is displayed in two parts: the first features artefacts associated with Tutankhamun’s predecessors, and explores Ancient Egypt prior to Tutankhamun’s reign; the second part of the exhibition features objects found in Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922.

I haven't been able to find a list of the objects that are in the exhibition. I have been going through some Tutankhamun books with my young daughters and I wanted to be able to point out the objects that we will be seeing. Can you point me to something that identifies what we can expect to see?

King Tut's actual gold Death Mask cannot and DOES NOT leave the Cairo Museum in Egypt. His actual inner coffin (he had 3) is still in his original tomb along with his mummy. This exhibition has other artefacts and if it has everything from the overseas ones...they have recreated his tomb

Hi James, please click on the link at right under 'external links' for the exhibition website. Once you are at the home page click on 'The Exhibition' link then 'Preview'. This page gives some of the objects in the exhibition and if you further explore the website you'll receive more detail. If you're on Facebook, the King Tut Exhibit Melbourne page is always previewing interesting objects and information about the exhibition.

Hello there!
I cannot wait to come and see this extraordinary exhibit..however, is there any word on whether Dr. Hawas will be coming,accompanying the tour at any stage?!
To meet him (and pick his brain!) would be the icing on the cake.
Thank you.

I am very disappointed in your advertising, yesterday 9th of January 2011 is the first Ive heard of this! Is there a finite number of tickets allocated per day - this is a dream for me and I will have to move and shake to get there but its a definite providing tickets are available - can you just front up and get tix at the Museum.

I can't wait to see this exhibit. Melbourne museum always has the most fantastic exhibitions! Will you be doing evening viewings of the exhibition on monday/tuesday/wednesday nights? Are there any packages available to view the exhibition on these evenings?

We definitely want to attend the exhibit in September holidays. Is there any chance that the exhibition will not continue to the end of November? I would be devastated if I waited only to find out a decision is made to close the exhibition in July.

Hi all, we've had quite a few questions in the last week, so we're going to answer them all here for you in one hit!

Sarah - information about about VIP packages can be found on the exhibition website.

Georgia, Heather & Lisa - we will be developing a lecture series and over the next month and would hope to have the program, including speakers, released on the website by early March at the latest. If you'd like to stay in touch, they can subscribe to our enews for updates.

Judy of Adelaide - the exhibition is not yet open. It opens to the public on 8 April 2011. Sessions may sell out in advance so advance purchase of tickets is recommended to avoid missing out. When you purchase your tickets, you will be asked to choose a date and time you would like to see the exhibition. For example, if you purchase tickets for April 8, 2011 at 10am, you will enter between 10am and 10:30am. This half-hour window allows us to manage the number of people in the exhibition at any given time to ensure all guests have a smooth experience. Ticket prices and entry times can be found on the exhibition website. Tickets can be purchased from this site, in person at any Ticketek locations or over the phone on 132 849.

John - With regards to the movie, please see our reply above to another enquiry on 24 November. Regarding the exhibition the average visit 90 mins. There are ten galleries that visitors may experience in a self-guided manner. If you purchase tickets for the last exhibition session of the day and also for the movie, you will need to see the movie before you visit the exhibition, so we suggest you arrive a little earlier.

Trisha - The exhibition will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. All the details can be found on the exhibition website. Corporate hospitality package options for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings and details are in the Packages section of the site.

Carmen - Please see the exhibition website where it states student concession is 'Australian Student Full Time'.

Hi Berlinda - Sessions may sell out in advance so advance booking of tickets is recommended to avoid missing out. We cannot guarantee that tickets will be available at the door if the sessions have booked out in advance, however if the session is not booked out, the tickets will be available at the door.

Discovery Centre
2 February, 2011 13:43

Hi Karen - the tickets to this exhibition are for a timed entry; this way it is easier for our staff to manage the number of people in the exhibition at any time, and also gives visitors the best visitor experience by not making things too crowded.

Discovery Centre
17 November, 2011 09:26

Hi Dani,Once you enter the exhibition can stay as long as you please (until the exhibition closes for the day). The session times are in place to help alleviate the number of people that enter the exhibition. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Abi Devine
16 January, 2011 13:37

In the exibition, will the bones of Tut be on display along with his death mask?

Hi Loretta, while it is anticipated that the exhibition will be at Melbourne Museum until November 2011, we strongly recommend that visitors book as soon as possible so as not to miss out. We also recommend you register on the website to be updated when additional ticket information becomes available. Enquiries regarding ticketing information, including age and concession limits can be found in the Tickets section of this website.

Hi Abi. David is correct that the mask is not included in the exhibition. This beautiful artefact did tour once but was damaged and is now too fragile to leave Egypt. It can be seen in the Egyptian Museum Cairo. There is also an additional display area where the latest research and forensic analysis on Tutankhamun’s death is also presented, including an exact 3D replica of Tut’s mummified body.

Hi Carlo, there are some entry fees to get into the museums themselves but concessions and children are free. Details can be found on the Visiting section of our website. Entry to the Melbourne Museum is included with tickets to Tutankhamun and the golden age of the pharaohs.

Hi Chris, MV Members can have their parking card validated near the ticket desk in the main foyer of Melbourne Museum; just bring your parking pticket to the cloakroom with your memers card and our Customer Service team will help

Hello Elaine - the catalogue will be available for purchase at the gift shop associated with the exhibition rather than the general Melbourne Museum gift shop; this shop will be operational at the same time as the exhibition opens

Hi Susan, yes, it’s correct that the exhibition has previously toured London, but artefacts can vary between venues for many reasons, especially as there are thousands of Ancient Egyptian artefacts in Cairo and throughout the world. The chariot will not be included in the Melbourne display, but there will be more than 130 original artefacts that have been carefully chosen, including fifty from Tutankhamun’s tomb.

It is correct that there will be an exact 3D replica of Tut’s mummified body in an additional display area focused on the latest research and forensic analysis of Tut’s death.

Hi, I am a little worried that due to large crowds, I won't be able to enjoy the displays more. Is there a limited to admissions per session? Sounds crazy i know, but would just love to "soak-up" the exhibition. Many thanks

Hi Everyone, Thank you for contacting the Discovery Centre with your enquiry regarding the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition. I am pleased to say that the exhibition is unaffected by the recent upheaval in Egypt and will go ahead as planned.

We look forward to your visit; please do contact us with any further questions regarding the Museum's collections or fields of research.

Hi, I was wondering if photo taking is allowed for this Tutankhamun exibit? That is because I am coming from out of Melbourne and would like to take some shots for memory.
However if not, will there be photos of the exibit taken that can maybe be bought>

Hi Luis - photography will not be permitted in the exhibition, however a variety of publications will be available for purchase, including an exhibition catalogue, which will have a great deal of photographs from the exhibition.

Hi Susanna - Just to clarify, the exhibition in the Touring Hall will feature just over 130 original artefacts (i.e. not copies) – 50 from the tomb of Tutankhamun and the rest from other ancient Egyptian sites. These objects have been carefully chosen to tell a comprehensive story about Tutankhamun and Ancient Egypt before and during his reign and are from the collection of the Cairo Museum, travelling with the permission of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

There is an additional display area where the latest research and forensic analysis on Tutankhamun’s death is also presented, including an exact 3D replica of Tut’s mummified body.

I'm wondering if Susan is confused the the current exihibtion the it in Manchester at the momment, that exihibtion is called Tutankhamun his tomb & its Treasure which is all replica & the treasures are arranged so people have the tomb experiance.

Hi Adrian, Information about school groups, including prices & how to book can be found on the King Tut Melbourne website. You are welcome to call the number on this page if it doesn't answer all your questions. Further information such as curriculum links & resources can be found in education section of the site.

I am interested to know how long it take for the Tutankhamun Exihibtion to arrive from the USA, & how long it takes to sent up the exihibtion because I have read that the exihibtion has finnished in the USA.

My friends and i are students in Sydney and we're thinking of taking a trip down to the museum later on in April.... we are SO excited for it!
we all study Ancient History and are EXTREMELY interested in Egypt especially the Middle and New Kingdom!

Hi again David! The exhibition can take approximately 3 to 4 weeks to pack up at its previous venue. Freight shipments (sea & air) are then staggered, with installation at the next venue taking approximately 6 weeks.

Hi Rosa, we still don't know at this stage when the second lot of tickets will go on sale. Please keep an eye on the website for updates, by pre-rigistering to that site you should be notified when the next round of tickets are released.

Hi, we live in Sydney and have purchased VIP tickets to the Tutankhamun
and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs
exhibit and were just wondering if everything is still all right after all the riots in Eygpt?

Hi Andrew - Exhibition organisers have assured Museum Victoria that current unrest in Egypt will not affect the exhibition’s visit to Australia. We are receiving our shipments of artefacts and exhibition material direct from the previous venue in New York City, not from Cairo.

I'm interested to know if at the melbourne museum if you are going to require any guides at all for the Tutankhamun golden age of the Pharaohs at all. I came to the Museum a week after the news of the exihibtion and I was told to check the museums web site, but I have seen nothing.

Customer Service jobs were advertised on the employment page of our website. Sorry you missed them. You may like to join up as a volunteer at the Museum, but there is no guarantee you will be able to work in Tutankhamun. Information on how to volunteer at the Museum can also be found on the employment page.

Hi Tracy, there are no specific tours of the exhibition. Entry is timed to control visitor numbers but, once inside, you can spend as long as you like in there - until just before closing time. The 3D movie available to view in the museum is approximately 20 minutes. There is also a longer 45 minute version that you can see at IMAX.

i was given 2 ticket vouchers for the exheb. from tickettec now we want to book for may and have been told they are not available yet can u tell me when as we need to make travel arrangements thank you

Can someone please tell me whether this exhibition has the permission/authorisation from the appropriate people to tour? I currently work as a Cultural Heritage Coordinator in Vic Central and don't want be a hypocrite and treat the people's sacred objects as a human curiosity when I work to keep our heritage secret n sacred. How does gaining permission in Egypt work? Also, the proceeds from the exhibtion, where does that go? To the communities/descendants or museums? Thanks.

Hi KutchDee, the exhibition is organised by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and IMG, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. A majority of proceeds will go towards antiquities preservation and conservation efforts in Egypt, including the construction of the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The average visit time is 90 minutes. There are ten galleries that visitors may experience in a self-guided manner. You may also purchase a audio-guide, but again, this can be taken at your own pace. If you purchase tickets for the last exhibition session of the day and also for the movie, you will need to see the movie before you visit the exhibition, so we suggest you arrive a little earlier.

Thank you to the team that replied to my problem getting ticketed days from prepaid tikiteck office ,after showing them the letter of reply was given days in may which they said were not yet released thanks again

I purchased some gift vouchers for some family members and they are wanting to know how they now reserve a session as doesn't seem possible through Ticketek. They also have vouchers for the movie so does a time for that also need to be prebooked? thanks

Our whole family are really looking forward to attending the exhibition! I am scratching my head however in regards to the selection criteria you have used to recruit temporary employees (guides etc) for the exhibition.My husband applied for a part-time position & after a couple of months of silence from Museum Victoria was finally told that his services were not required. Okay one thinks, not everyone can be successful, but bear in mind that my husband has a degree in Archaeology from Monash University majoring in Egypt,he has been to Egypt several times on archeological digs,and he was employed for several years at the Mediteranean Museum in Stockholm Sweden working with the Egyptian collection where his duties included holding exhibitions & giving guided tours!! furthermore he's a natural born educator & speaks 5 languages!! Wouldn't you want someone like him taking your tour folks???

Hey guys, I wanted to see the 3D film but have noticed that the one at the museum is shorter than the one showing at Imax. Is one a shorter version than the other or are they completely seperate entities?

Hi Angela, thanks for passing on your comments in relation to your husband’s application for a position with the King Tutankhamun Exhibition. Museum Victoria received a record 3100+ applications for the Customer Service Officer roles which were advertised.

There were many applicants with high level experience and we used a set of criteria which focussed specifically on customer service skills and attributes which are relevant to the role. We hope you enjoy your upcoming visit to this exhibition.

Re: Education Kit (middle Years Geography)downloaded Thursday 24 March
Page Two: "Diagram of Ancient Egypt" This identifies Upper and Lower Egypt in relation to the Nile River and its direction of flow to the Mediterranean.
There seems to be a discrepency when compared with the following task:
Page Eleven: Task 2 Question Two "Why was the north of Egypt referred to as 'Upper Egypt' and the south as 'Lower Egypt'?"

Re: Dawn Charles comment
I think you might find that the museum exhibition 20-25 years ago you were talking about was actually called Gold of the Pharaohs and not specifically on King Tut. I still have the book I bought about it and showing pictures of the exhibits.

Wow, Discover Centre, you are fantastic at getting back to people's questions promptly! It's such a great way to help people out for a more efficient exhibition running!
I also had a question: I was wondering if full-time University students are included in the concession, or is it only primary and secondary full-time students?

Hi,
in light of this exhibition, i've been researching Egyptian hieroglyphics. I have a presentation to give where I was wanting to use the word "Equality" as a heading in Egyptian hieroglyphics, however, different sources use different symbols. Could you please help me determine the correct symbols or direct me to an appropriate source?
Thanks,
Marc.

To answer Mark's question on hieroglyphics for the word Equality, I think your best bet is to be looking at the book on Ancient Egyptian Grammer that was writtern by Alan Garndier, this book is one of the best books there is on Ancient egyptian Grammer.

Hi Kirrily, Tutankhamun's mummy wouldn't leave Egypt but there is an additional display area where the latest research and forensic analysis on Tutankhamun’s death is also presented, including an exact 3D replica of his mummified body. The mummy, which still lies in the pharaoh's tomb in the Valley of the Kings is not the best preserved of all Egyptian mummies and has suffered some damage over the years. Some people might find it scary but it's also very interesting, particularly for what it can tell us about ancient people through modern technology. You can see images of the mummy on the BBC website, which might help you decide whether you wish to view the replica.

You are wrong discovery centre. I travelled from Brisbane to Sydney in the 1970's to specifically see the Tutankamen exhibition. I was studying Ancient History in year 12 and we travelled to see the exhbition which was amazing. I even have photos of King Tuts mask... Will still go the Melbourne exo though. It made such an impact on me.

Libbys I think that the Tutankhamun exhibition that traveled in the 1970's was an exhibition that was put together by the Australian Institute of Archaeology and it was a replica exihbition. So this is really the first time the real treasure has been here.

Why is this at Melbourne Museum? It all looks very flash and expensive (and american, therefore corporate), but egyptian archaeology has nothing to do with Australia and Melbourne. Wouldn't the money spent on getting this here be better spent on something more relevant to the people of vic?

Hi Libby - the comment by David above in response to your comment is correct - the artefacts in this exhibition have never been to Australia before. Replicas resembling some of the content for this exhibition have been exhibited before, but the 'real thing' hasn't been put on display in Australia before this.

No David, and sorry Discovery Centre, but NO REAL THINGS. Please do some research, all replicas no real things this time. But if you say "real things", well, that's the other story :-) Anyway, I will be there.

Hi, We are travelling from Cairns at the end of August and we are thinking of coming a day earlier just so we can see the Tut exhibition with our 3 children. How do I purchase tickets now as I will also need to arrange flights and accommodation to allow us to see the exhibition?

James, you should rejoice that you get such wonderful exhibitions at the museum which open our eyes to the world. Not many people could otherwise afford to experience this. It also brings tourists (like me from Sydney) to Victoria which boosts your economy.

G'day to Simon,There are different ways of writing the name of Tutankhamun. His name was orignally writtern in the time of his tomb being discovered was 'Touatankhamanou", I have also seen writtern with the last part of his his name, 'aman', 'amen'and also 'amon, but I think the general way of writing his name is
"TUTANKHAMUN" i hope this helps.

Hi Scott, the exhibition is definitely featuring original artefacts. There will be just over 130 on display – 50 from the tomb of Tutankhamun and the rest from other ancient Egyptian sites. These objects have been carefully chosen to tell a comprehensive story about Tutankhamun and Ancient Egypt before and during his reign and are from the collection of the Cairo Museum, travelling with the permission of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The only replicas are those in the additional display area, where the latest research and forensic analysis on Tutankhamun’s death is also presented, including an exact 3D replica of his mummified body.

Hi to Marc who commented on 27 March and was answered by David. Gardiner's book is definitely worth looking at. If you want some more clarification, you might wish to approach the Egyptology Society of Victoria at Monash University. Some of the universities with Egyptology departments might also run hieroglyphics courses from time to time, so you might be interested in keeping an eye out or, again, asking the Egyptology Society if they run anything like this.

Hi Emmie, as indicated in a number of responses above, tickets will be available at the museum if not sold out prior. We recommend you prebook to avoid disappointment as it's very likely tickets will sell out.

What time is the Egypt 3D movie playing on the Friday 8th April.
I bought tickets for 4pm but was wondering if i could view the movie prior to entering the exhibit.How does it work?
And how long does the film run?

Hi,
I just wanted to know if there are specific session times for the 3d film? My friends and I have tickets for the 4:30 session, and we wanted to see the film before the exhibition. What time do you think we should arrive to see the film?

Discovery Center, I am coming to Mel from Bangalore India in the next two months, and having seen the last exhibition of the Titanic when i was there between April to June 2010 on a holiday visiting my daughter. now that this exhibition of King Tut's treasures will be on display, i look forward to seeing the same. Thanks Discovery Center for the good things done, wish we could have the same here in India for the people to view.

Can you please advise why there are no flight/accommodation/entrance inclusive packages available for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs? Since Qantas is a major sponsor, it is disappointing that I cannot book a whole inclusive ticket for this event. Yes I can book an airline ticket add on the cost of a hotel and then add on the cost fo the entrance ticket however this is a more expensive method than booking and paying one amount for an inclusive ticket. I consider this poor customer service.

Hello Barbara - Thank you for your comments and feedback. There are indeed QANTAS holiday packages which combine flights, accommodation and entry tickets – these are available on the website http://www.kingtutmelbourne.com.au/tickets.html under the heading “QANTAS Holiday Travel Packages”

Hi guys, we have questions flooding in, so for the last few people who've asked questions we'll answer them all in one hit below:

Stephanie: There certainly is a Ticketek collection desk at the Museum.

Candy: Please see the website www.kingtutmelbourne.com.au for information about age brackets.

Maggie & Vanessa: The film runs continuously and goes for about 20 minutes. However the seating is limited and may sell out, so you may wish to leave a good amount of time prior to entering the exhibition just in case.

Courtney: There will be a merchandise shop after you exit the exhibition.

Brenda & Emily: Neither photography nor video is allowed in the Tutankhamun exhibition but is allowed in most other areas of Melbourne Museum, except for areas where there are No Photography signs.

Cindy: We've sent your enquiry to our Bookings team. Someone will contact you with regard to you tickets.

History teacher: Information for education groups is available on the website www.kingtutmelbourne.com.au/. To be kept up to date with everything happening for teachers, you could join our MV Teachers' program.

Hi I'm very confused about what to do with my tickets to this exhibition purchased through Ticketek Visa offer in November - it says I have to redeem these for actual tickets at a TIcketek outlet, I'm in Sydney, and thought I was buying tickets, apparently these aren't real tickets and I know have to go in person to a Ticketek office - this is really inefficient and annoying. What can I do to secure a spot and not waste any more of my own time and money on this ?

Hi, I would like to book the Audio Tour, the Egypt 3D movie, and the Tutankhamun exhibit.
Can you please advise how long each exhibit, audio, 3d movie, Tutankhamun will run this will give me a better time frame of what to book when.
Also you guys are doing a great job answering all these questions. I think you need a pay rise well done.

hi I am going to fly down by myself from gold coast just for the day for this & I don't know Melbourne.. Which airport is best to fly to? And what is best way to get from said airport straight to museum? Thank you so excited about this!!

I agree with all, this isnt the first time for Austrlia. I recall i was about 10, so 23 years ago roughly. It was in Sydney....i still have the 5 postcards & fake scarab jewellery i bought with my pocket money. Anyway....im going once again.

I have booked for the museum, 3D movie and the audio. can you please tell me what is the audio, is it something you carry around with you and listen to or is it separate to the exhibit. on my 3D movie there is seating and row numbers, no time slot, i assume you just go when you want to before or after the exhibit. thanks.

I have seen this exhibit and it takes 2 hours to get around (I'm an artefact geek so took my time). It is amazing and well worth the time, only thing to be aware of is that Tut's actual Death Mask is NOT included in this exhibit. There are also two shops one of which 10% of sales go back to Egypt to help with future conservation of antiquities.

was planning to go tomorrow.. just discovered that this is a "timed ticket" event and already fully booked - how convenient - I'd hoped this would be a bit more serious than some titanic spectacle.. In the eight page advertisement in the Herald Sun last week they made no effort to advise of this fact.. ah well guess I won't be donating any time soon

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Olga
10 April, 2011 12:19

Hi, firstly - Wow! you are doing amazing job answering all the inquiries! We are flying from Sydney just for one day to see this amazing exhibition. As we don't know Melbourne very well, could you please suggest the best way to get from Melbourne city to the museum, how much time should we leave to get there and how long does it take to get back to the airport from the museum. Also, if our exhibition is booked for 4.30, what time shall we get there to watch the 3D Movie?
Thank you!

What a sensitively mounted exhibition! Very moving and awe inspiring. Disappointing then that after building all that suspense for the recreation of Tutankhamun's final resting place the drama and solemnity was ruined by the sight and sounds of the gift-shop coming through an open door. Surely adding one more partition screen would offer a more fitting end to such an epic journey. Please reply.

To the staff member/s who have replied to all the requests above,
You have done a wonderful job! There are so many repetitious questions that you have politely and comprehensively answered a number of times. You've dealt so well with the challenging and less than nice questions as well.
I work in a cultural institution myself and can identify. It might be your 'job' to answer them all, but you've done so well. Congratulations on your brilliant customer service skills.
Traveling from interstate and really looking forward to the exhibition. See you soon!

We came to the exhibition on the weekend and loved it. We bought a copy of the photo you get taken upon entry from the shop at the end but regretted not getting another one with the other background.
Is there any way to get another copy?Or do you delete the images straight away? We live in Brisbane so we'd be happy to pay postage costs.

Hi, after reading through the above questions and answers I don't have a question, but feel compelled to congratulate your staff on their customer service and patience given the repetitive, ill-informed and sometimes outright rude questions/comments posted here, which in most cases are answered on the website for those who bother to read the provided information first before posting questions. You need a medal.

If I was to purchase a stay and see package which don't have the 3D movie included is there any other way that I can purchase it? It'll be the first time I've gone to Victoria and the last thing I want is to go all that way and find that I either needed to pre order or that it's booked out.

What a Fanstastic morning I had at the Museum on the 9th april to see the Tutankhamun exibition, taking the time to see everything & to see behind each item sometimes I had the display rooms to myself & i was able to sit down & take a good long look at certain items. I didn't know that the replica of the mummy of TUT was no really part of the exibihtion but as a side part.In the end I really did enjoy it & will come back for more. The exibihtion was well displayed. congratulations

Not worth seeing!
Not only is it totally overcrowded, but half of the exhibit is actually from relatives of TUT and not actually from his tomb. Very disappointed and will not be seeing of your exhibits again as I was not that impressed with the Titanic one either. All up it takes about 30 minutes to get through, that’s if you can actually move! Mostly very small pieces and some were duplicated.

Have been looking around and can't find any information regarding the '3D movie' - Is it possible to find some more detailed information about this, and if so, whereabouts? Thank-you very much for your time and lovely help towards myself and each and every person here! -Ellee

I was very excited about the Tutankamun exhibition, but as Maree said, it was very over crowded and people in there are rude, and don't care about stepping out in front of someone who has a walking stick or a wheel chair. And there wasn't much about Tutankhamun himself all about his relatives. But I must admit the Titanic exhibition was great.

Through Ticketek I cannot purchase any tickets for dates after July, however, I can through Showbiz and QANTAS, but have to pick up the tickets in Melbourne - a bit hard when I live in NSW! When will Ticketek open tickets for the rest of the year? Thanks

Hi Maria, the image featured in the advertising is not Tutankhamun's face mask. This object is not allowed to leave Egypt. The advertising features on of the golden coffinette's that were the canopic jars that held the Pharoah's organs. Further information can be found in our Question of the Week, which can be viewed by clicking on the link 'Objects in the Tutankhamun Exhibition' at right.

You are more than welcome to take your 4 & 6 year old children in to the Tutankhamun Exhibition please keep in mind that there is lots of reading to do and you might have to explain everything to the them and there are no interactives for children to take part in.

The movie is called Egypt 3D: and currently runs for 16 mins every 1/2 hour in the Museum Theatre . Its is recommended that you see it before you go in to the Tutankhamun Exhibtion. Film session times cannot be booked in advance so you will need to come in a little earlier to attend a session time that suits you.

I have been lucky enough to have seen the "TUT" exhibition in Cairo but would love to see the Wooden Statue of him and the large bust of his father Akhenaten. These items were on display in America when I was there. I am hoping to go to Melbourne while it is there and would advise everybody not to miss it.

I saw a Tutankhamun exhibition in Perth when I was a teenager that included most of the artifacts we are so familiar with. So I am also wondering why this is claimed to be the first time in Australia. I don't think so. That said, it was so amazing seeing those things I wouldn't miss this exhibition for the world.

My son and I saw the exhibition on Friday and we're still raving about it. However, as we went in at 5pm and didn't come out of the exhibition and gift shop til after 8pm, we didn't go and see the movie, which we had tickets for on that day (8/4). We are assuming it's screened at Imax, but I didn't see any direction to it around the exhibition area. ARe we still able to use our tickets on a different day? I really hope we can. Especially as we're planning another visit later on. Cheers

Hi Jackie, this is definitely the first time this exhibition has been in Australia. There was another exhibition in 1988 to 1989 that was called Gold of the Pharaohs. Please read the responses above on 6 November, 20 January and 1 February.

My son and I saw the exhibition on Friday, as my 5 year old has been fascinated with Egypt for the past year. We have read many books from the library. He was really disapointed that Tut's mask, gold coffin or his arm chair were not in the exhibition. I also think it's unfair that the promotion has a photo of Tut's gold mask on the front. Otherwise, the most amazing exhibit, and thank you Melbourne for bringing it to us.

Hi MA, we are really glad that you enjoyed the exhibition. The image featured in the advertising is not Tutankhamun's face mask. This object is not allowed to leave Egypt due to it's fragility. The advertising features on of the golden coffinette's that were the canopic jars that held the Pharoah's organs. Further information can be found in our Question of the Week, which can be viewed by clicking on the link 'Objects in the Tutankhamun Exhibition' at right.

Although we enjoyed the exhibition we were disappointed that there wasn't a bit more variety. My three sons (aged 6,9 and 11) were excited for months beforehand but became bored half way through this exhibition. They absolutely loved the Titanic exhibition and talked about it for weeks afterwards. Perhaps less statues and more items/footage children can relate to would hold their interest and inspire the next generation. Also, the exhibition book for purchase was extremely expensive so we didn't bother. Despite our disappointed we will continue to support MV as members.

Exhibit was severely overcrowded, it was impossible to get close to the exhibits (or through doorways). Also, the exhibit is advertising itself on the famous name Tutankamun (see the name of this page, even if that's not the official title), and the image used in the advertising is *very* close to Tut's funerary mask. I think it is reasonable to believe that an average person would expect to be seeing a Tutankamun exhibit featuring his funerary mask. I feel completely misled by the promotion and advertising for this exhibit. It was completely second rate and barely included anything that doesn't have a comparable piece at the NGV. Definitely not worth $35; the whole thing is a scam to take your money.

I would have enjoyed the exhibition much more if we didn't line up outside, and again inside x 3 times. For more than half the time I was there we were in a huge line. When most tix are pre-booked, there could be better organisation. There were FAR too many people in the exhibition at one time to see everything. We skipped a lot because of the crowd. It was a sheep run. What a shame to spoil a great experience.

Unfortunately the 3D movie ticket is only available on the day of purchase but you are more than welcome to buy a ticket at Melbourne Museum for another day. Session run every 30 minutes during the exhibition opening hours. Alternatively you can purchase tickets for the full length film "Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies" showing daily at Imax

Hi, I have a dilemma, I purchased tickets to the monday show by accident (those little squares you have to press are ridiculous) I in fact wanted to come sunday. Ticketek does not refund or exchange. Is there anyway you can allow us to attend a show on saturday or sunday as we are flying home on monday.

Hi there,
I'm coming in to see the exhibit on April 24th at 10:30am and have had an inter-state friend joining. The only tickets left are for 4:00pm. Is there any way of getting an extra ticket or are we out of luck? Thanks!

I have just returned from the UK and saw the exhibition in Manchester. So i suggested to my husband we should visit the exhibition here in Melbourne. What a complete & UTTER dissapointment. The exhibition in the U.K was far superior to this one, there was a lot more to see over there. I assume the cost of bringing the full exhibiton to Australia was a major factor. But that is not excuse for the poor showing. Also the amount of people squeezed into every session was like seeing cattle herded into a paddock. Melbourne Museum you should be ashamed!!!! If you haven't purchased your tickets i suggest. DONT BOTHER!

I attended the exhibition on Sunday and the only emotion that I felt was disappointment.
Ninety percent of the displays were related to Tutankhamun’s ancestors, there was no flow or story to the exhibition just a several rooms of unrelated artefacts.
There was no history of the discovery of the tomb, no story of his life only several photographs of a hole in the ground that I assume was the entrance to the tomb.
We arrived well before the 9:00am opening time only to find upon entry, that the movie we were told to see first that would give us the preparation to fully enjoy the exhibit started at 9:00 am and the doors to the theatre were closed for the session, we had to see it after the exhibition to find that there was no relationship to the show other than the subject was about Egypt .
As my daughter took me to the show I didn’t feel comfortable about complaining after the exhibition, several other people however were loudly complaining to your staff that they felt cheated and I don’t blame them as I also felt that it was an extremely poor exhibition.

Quite simply appauling. Huge disappointment, cheap and nasty display, the clatter of the cafe over the back ground music in the display. No thought about the numbers viewing the exhibits, most could not be seen. No flow so most of the time the crowd just stood. Cheap and nasty presentation in the rooms. The finale room was such a let down. Sureu you could have done better, very sad.

Hi, I have purchased tickets and am really looking fwd to visiting. Just wondering if the Tut exhibition ticket allows entry into other areas of the museum, or is it only for the King Tut exhibition ($35 ticket). Thanks

Disappointing that the exhibit uses the most iconic image of King Tut as its advertising spin which would lead you to believe that the death mask is actually at the exhibit. Really disappointed that it wasnt !!!

When I visited the exhibition last Friday I was keen to buy 2 copies of the exhibition catalogue ... a personal copy and one for the school library where I work; but they had sold out and could not locate anymore copies. Can I order these and have them mailed to me in Tassie?

I was wanting to come and visit the exhibit within the next few weeks but after visiting the website to organise ticketing and accomodation I am slightly put off the idea now. Seeing so many complaints about over crowding, poor display and lack of organisation. I am yet to see any displays from Egypt but as my father has been to the Egyptian museum 20 odd years ago I was very excited to get my first glimpse after hearing his fascinating stories. But I don't want to set myself up for disappointment and be discouraged from seeing anymore related exhibitions in the future. Hopefully it's not as bad as people are saying, fingers crossed!

Hi there,
I'm coming in to see the exhibit on April 24th at 10:30am and have had an inter-state friend joining. The only tickets left are for 4:00pm. Is there any way of getting an extra ticket or are we out of luck? Thanks!

I agree with so many other comments above:
Exhibit was severely overcrowded, it was very difficult to get close to the exhibits.
The exhibit is advertising itself on the famous name Tutankamun, and the image used in the advertising appears to suggest that Tut's funerary mask will be present. We thought it was reasonable to believe that an average person would expect to be seeing a Tutankamun exhibit featuring his funerary mask. We also felt misled by the promotion and advertising for this exhibit.
It was definitely not worth $35 given the numbers crammed in and what you got to see. Shame.....

I am very disappointed that when I first went into buy tickets it indicated it was up to July, and I booked flights appropriately especially to catch the exhibition. Since then I have found out it runs till November when I have already booked flights to Melbourne for my original holiday. Very misleading & expensive.

I saw the exhibit last Saturday and unlike some of the other people on here who have seen it and complained, I would like to say thank you for bringing the exhibit to Melbourne. It is unlikely that I will ever make the trip to Egypt in the future to see such extraordinary items of such historical importance so I, for one, was very grateful to have been given this opportunity to have viewed at least some of these items here in my home town. As for the overcrowding, if you want something badly enough, you will be patient and wait for the crowds to clear for a better viewing position, just as I did. I was happy to take 3 hours viewing the objects, despite my sore feet, as I know I will probably never see these items again.

Tutankhamun's Golden Mask (or Funeral Mask or death Mask) is at home in Cairo at The Egyptian Museum. It is very popular object that traveled in the 1970's exhibition; so many individuals have fond memories of it. Because it is so fragile, the Egyptian government has decided that it will not travel again. The promotional image advertised is that of his coffinette which is about 40cm in height.

Whilst the exhibition was very impressive It was a shame that not all advertised articles were included. Exhibition was way too overcrowded, it was hard to get a good look at the exhibits - which is what we paid for - that part was very disappointing. Als o would recommend that if you have children that are scared of the dark, don't take them. Quite a few amongst our group were freaked out and so parents had to miss the exhibition .

I was very disappointed with the dishonest marketing surrounding this exhibit. The image used in all the advertisements, while apparently actually a picture of the small organ-container presented in the exhibit, was clearly intended to cause the view to assume that the exhibit would feature Tutankhamun's death mask. Not only was this not present, none of his sarcophagi were either. While there were a few good items, overall I felt rather ripped off.

Hi. I purchased a ticket to this exhibition and I am yet to go but I just wanted to say to people saying they were disappointed about the death mask not being displayed-if you were truly interested in this exhibition why not do some research first. For example I read the following before I booked tickets and even read this site. To avoid disappointed why not read the facts. "Is the death mask and sarcophagus in the exhibiton? Tut's death mask and sarcophagus are not allowed to leave Egypt and therefore is not included in the exhibition." I'm really excited to see this and I think we should consider ourselves lucky to have the opportunity. Over crowding, can't be helped obviously only a certain amount of tickets are sold. Maybe I will feel different after my visit but I can't wait to go.

I enjoyed the exhibition enormously; but I agree with some of the above comments. I expected to see the funerary mask or the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun, not there, disappointing. Also I bought the DVD and there is an item I would have loved to hear again, it was not included, at least I did not see it. It a breast plate or collar with a scarab made of glass found in the desert and created by extreme heat millions of years ago. Could you tell me where I can find a photograph of this item and the explanation for the origin of the "glass" scarab! Many thanks.

I have just read that the Tut exhibition ticket includes the Museum entry fee. As a Senior Concession Card holder I normally have free entry to the museum so why should I pay the extra for an exhibition ticket?

its totally unfair that we can't change the date we buy the tickets for through ticketek. we made a mistake in the date while purchasing, and ticketek's terms are that they cannot be changed even for the next session. but if you look at their terms and conditions, it says that they reserve the right to change artists, shows, schedules and seating as they feel fit. so they have all the right and we have none. can the melbourne museum do anything? why this strict anti reschedule policy? surely people make honest mistakes. very unfair especially that they reserve more rights as they please.

Hi there,
very excited about attending. i have a question in regards to the 3D movie, is it part of the exhibition as in we dont have have to pay any more money and I am attending the 8.30pm session on Friday 29/04/2011 will I be able to see this movie? Thanks

I really enjoyed the exhibition, though I thought it a bit hot and crowded. But, it was all very beautiful and great to see. Just want add that some comments on here are silly, anyone who can read should know that the picture is of a cofinette, not the death mask. The clue is in the caption to the picture, where it says "Canopic Coffinette of Tutankhamun". Just because you imagined that the death mask was included doesn't mean you've been ripped off, it means you can't read!

Bought the museum's hard copy photo.Is there a link to get the soft copy of the photoshopped public photos taken at the Tutankhamun?I see the code at the bottom of the photo but where is the link to get them?

What is the reason for non-flash photography? You can take non-flash photography in the Cairo Museum but why not here? The FAQ states it's for the preservation of the artefacts which is true for flash, but non-flash photography is fine preservation wise. Very disappointing.

What a fantastic exhibition! We visited over Easter and found everything so well organised and presented. Only hiccup was one room where some of the gold figurs had been placed right at the entrance which caused a bit of a logjam, but otherwise everything flowed smoothly. Yes things are busy but we were able to see everything clearly and spend as much time as we wanted. Just stunning.

We visited on Saturday and totally enjoyed the exhibition. The presentation of objects was excellent, far superior to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (though of course a very small sample). My partner, who is far less enamoured with all things Egyptian, was similarly impressed. Good value and an enjoyable experience. We didn't experience any of the problems that are mentioned in some comments.

Good exhibition. But yes, disappointed not to see the mask. Despite some of the comments posted on here, it is clear that many people (myself included) still expected they would see the famous mask. The point about the gift shop lighting adding to the anticlimax is also valid. A clearer explanation and maybe some more material (film / video) etc. regarding the artefacts retained in Cairo would certainly have turned a B+ into an A*!

Went to exhibition today - well done. However we made the mistake of not checking these comments fully beforehand and saw both the IMAX Egypt film and the one in the Museum theatrette. We knew IMAX was approx 45 mins and the Museum film was approx 20 mins so thought they were different films, but the 20 min film (in reality only about 15 min) is really just a excerpt of the IMAX film. Would recommend to others to try and catch the IMAX film instead of the shorter film if possible.

We get to the museum at 11.30 tomorrow after flying in.Our tickets are for 12.00 entry,do we just line up in the long lines and wait or when it gets to 12.00 can we jump the line and go to front.We don't want to miss our entry time.

Our family of four with 6 and 3 year olds visited the exhibition from Adelaide. It was great for us. Yes, it was crowded and it wasn't Hollywood style in your face amusement (NB the origin of the word amusement means absence of thinking). I would highly recommend anyone with kids to do some pre-reading first to get them excited and able to relate to the artefacts. Both the children still talk about Tutankhamun every day. Of course they are encouraged by our own interest and enthusiasm to see things from thousands of years ago which truly is amazing. I hope lots of other families find it interesting and it sparks their children's interest in some real history.

The image of the pharaoh's gold funerary mask, used to promote the exibition just about everywhere, including on this web page, led me to believe that I might be able to see it. I felt a bit disappointed at the end of the trail when I discovered it is not a part of the exibition.

When I was buying the entry tickets to the exhibition I was offered the tickets for the 3-D movie. Is that the Imax movie? we want to buy tickets at 11:30 am but want to see the movie before the exhibition, do not know if we have enough time I am confuse, please advise. Thanks

Well done to the museum staff for their patient replies. There are some very negative people here - of course there are crowds, these are incredible artifacts and for many a once in a lifetime opportunity to see them.

Visited the exhibition at the weekend. Fantastic. It is a credit to the museum staff who have arranged the items the way they have.
I do have a question - I had a photograph taken in front of the gold sarcophagus. Can you please tell me some details about whose this is etc? Many thanks.

Whilst the actual articles in the exhibition were amazing I was very dissapointed in how the tour was organised. Myself and 2 friends flew in from Tasmania especially for this exhibition with one of our party in a wheelchair. Even though you had a time limit between each group the groups this did not stop 2 - 3 groups being in the same small room at the same time and my friend n a wheelcahir got so frustrated because all she could see was peoples waists etc. and they would not move to let her see the exhibits that we hd to leave before viewing the exhibition to our satisfaction as she became very upset that people would not move to let her near the show cases. I think as an organisation you should be more aware of this and make allowances to ensure that all your patrons enjoy their visit. We had been looking foward to this for many weeks and with air fares, accommodation etc.paid out quite a bit of money to see this exhibition. I did try to speak to your staff about this but did not get any credible assistance and left Melbourne on a low rather than a high because of this experience.

Glenice to answer your question the gold coffin belongs to a noblewoman by the name of Thuya, she was the mother of Queen Tiye, she also held the title of Chief of entertainers (singer)both for the egyptian gods Amun & Min, she was also the wife of a nolbleman called Yuya. Thyua also had the title of Superintendent of the Harem. If you had purchased the catologue to the exihbition this information should be in it.

All tickets are available for presale. There will only be tickets available at the door if it hasn't sold out prior. It is advisable to pre-book to avoid disappointment on the day.

Hi Karen

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will be in Melbourne until 6th November 2011. Tickets are currently on sale until 17th July 2011 and Travel Packages are available until 6th November from Showbiz. Information on single Tickets past 17th July 2011 will be released soon.

Hi Alvin

Tickets can be pre-booked at any Ticketek outlet, where you are able to pay cash.

Hi Luis

The 3D movie is not an IMAX movie, it is a shortened 15 minute version of the 45 min IMAX Egypt 3D. It runs on the half hour throughout the day till 1 1/2 hours before closing. It is advisable to try and see it in the timeslot 1 hour before your exhibition entry.

Hi Glen

Sorry there is no discount for MV teachers as it is a free subscription. There are discounts available for paying MV members.

My daughter and I travelled from Sydney to see the exhibition on April 15 and we loved it. The exhibits were wonderful, visitors were well controlled, and it was really well organised.
We deliberately kept ahead of the main part of the group from our timeslot, so there were never too many in any one room which allowed us to see everything easily. It is awe-inspiring seeing items that are so old and are so intricately made.
I will definitely be back to see it again, next time with my husband who was very jealous of us seeing it. Thank you! It was amazing!

The King Tutankhamun exhibit was a "bucket list tick-it-off" moment for me. To lay eyes on some of the amazingly beautiful and incredibly preserved artifacts gave me goosebumps. It is interesting that we are in awe of the artwork and craftsmanship of nameless/faceless talents who lived thousands of years ago. The famous Pharaohs may live on in name (so important to ancient Egyptian royalty) but I was often left thinking about the person who created the beautiful piece of art that was behind the glass.

To David Caldecoat - thankyou for the information about the sarcophagus and who it belonged to. The catelogue you refer to, is that the $65 book that was available or is there something else that I missed? I did not purchase the book due to cost.

Hi I have booked for this sunday and purchased a family ticket. Unfortunately the children wont be able to come and 2 of my elder children are coming instead, can I change the tickets at the museum before our booked time? And how long before would I need to be there to do it, if possible, as I know there are usually queues.

Hi, I'm flying in from Brisbane just for the exhibition in a fortnight and I've got all my tickets already, so no problems there. Would it be possible to send me some info about how to get to the museum easily. I'm sure I will be fine on the day but anything that might make my journey less stressy would be of great assistance, Thanks so much, I'm really looking forward to it.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will be in Melbourne until 6th November 2011. Tickets are currently on sale until 17th July 2011 and Travel Packages are available until 6th November from Showbiz. Information on single Tickets past 17th July 2011 will be released soon.

I know there has been a bit of disapointment with the current Tutankhamun exhibition, with some false avertising about it saying that the golden mask of Tutankhamun would be at the exhibition but there is more to Tutankhamun than his Mask. I know that Tut's mask is an Icon of ancient egyptian art but there are other wonderful works of egyptian craftmanship on view in this exhibition. I think I would have to agree with Cynthia's comment, that actually standing next to the treasues gives me goosebumps and to think how these treasures where created by the ancient craftsman it is really awesome to think of the time & the hours that went into each item.

Hi, I have a couple of questions, If i book a session for 8pm on Saturday:
a) will i be able to wtch the accompanying 3D movie prior to that time (say 7pm)
b) how long does the movie go for?
c)how long does it usually take to experience the exhibition
Many thanks in advance
Brad

This ehibition was a rip-off. We have a disabled son and are a family of 5 and feel ripped off. The advertising is misleading and even the Melbourne leader printed that Tut was going to be threre. We were ushered off after complaining. I've seen King Tut display's before in the Brit museum and they were far more detailed than this load of unadulterated crap! Don't go!!! Even people in the US say it's a rip off. Robbers!!!!!!

I've already bought tickets for myself, my mum and my friend to go next Tuesday (1oth May) but I must say I am a bit concerned now regarding Jonathan Ring's comments. Ah well...I can only hope it is as good as I am expecting, cos I am looking forward to the exhibition.

i went to the exhibition on monday 5 may it was very good but when i went to buy the program they told me it was sold out and i came from sydney to see it i am trying to buy one on line but they want $38,00 for postage from overseas can i buy one in australia if so were thank you

Hi Janene,
The exhibition is not a rip-off. Granted, the entire exhibition is not devoted to Tutankhamun but this has been well documented - as well as the fact Tut's body and mask will never leave Egypt. Much of the collection is devoted to Tutankhamun's ancestors and contains many amazing artefacts from the Tomb of Yuya and Thuja (depending on how you choose to spell their names). Before the discovering of Tut's tomb this was the most talked about tomb. If you have any interest in ancient Egypt at all you will not be disappointed. I have been to Egypt, seen Tut's body and the artefacts from his Tomb in the Cairo Museum and even I was impressed by this exhibition yesterday. Thoroughly worth the money.

Overpriced and boring, dont bother, it's not as exciting as you would hope. Was crowded due to the rooms being so small. The most interesting part was the replica of the mummy which is free to view without a ticket! Better off reading a detailed book with pictures of the artifacts from his tomb instead, you'd probably learn more. I paid over $140 for 4 people to go plus the parking and tolls and felt very let down.

I am wanting to take my visiting brother to this event in August but I cant see when the last day is and ticketek makes it look like it concludes 17 July, I cant see any reference to an end date...can you help?

I am very sorry to say I was quite disappointed with the exhibition - the advertising shows the ornate sarcophagus I was expecting to see this, there was only a very small model or reproduction, and only a box with a picture projected on to it showing what it would look like and what the mummy would look like - extremely disappointing. although the artifacts were indeed special they where not the fabulous things were hear about.

The movie is called Egypt 3D: and currently runs for 16 mins every 1/2 hour in the Museum Theatre . Its is recommended that you see it before you go in to the Tutankhamun Exhibtion. Film session times cannot be booked in advance so you will need to come in a little earlier to attend a session time that suits you.

Fantastic exhibition but don't bother with the 3D movie. It was a letdown...unless you have no knowledge of Egypt and mummies then it is a waste of time and money, ewspecially as it spends more time talking about Rameses than Tut

Thought the exhibition was fantastic, the only problem was the noise etc from school groups, even of kindergarten age who truly couldn't appreciate it at all. Perhaps you need to have school group only sessions and leave some sessions free for adults only, as it spoilt what should have been a memorable occasion.

Today i am going to visit "King Tut's exhibition. I love ancient history.I'm an amature.I have been studying for many years.I'v got hundreds of books,documentury movies & replica statuettes of ancient Egyptian artifacts. I'm wondering will the museum shop be selling novelty T-shirts with images of "Tutankhamun And The Golden Age Of The Pharaohs"?

Is there any assurance that the Saturday night tours will be any less crowded than the week day sessions? I shuffled through the Titanic exhibit and never got close to any of the exhibits in display cases?

Visted the exibition with family and friends recently and was very dissapointed, We came and seen the Titanic exibition and had it was excellent and would visit it again over and over again, so maybe we went to the king tut exibition with to high of expectations.
We dont think that the advertising matched the exibition although we happy we saw the exibition not one of our favourites.
And with titanic bookings were made through the museum and this one they are through tickatek was alot more friendly and able to get more service when bookings were through the mueseum dont think i would book again through a tickatek for a muesum exibition.
So now we are waiting to see what the next exibit will be?

I visited the exhibition yesterday,with my family. We went at 5p.m. We enjoyed it. Not too crowded. You can't complain, because the real thing is in Egypt & there's so much to see over there & you can't bring it all over here. Overall the exhibition was very good. We even bought some souvenirs. The downturn is that the merchandise is very expensive. Especially the jewellery. If it was affordable i'm sure more souvenir merchandise would be sold. I,myself would have bought much more.

I'm sorry, but I was bitterly disappointed in the exhibition; to the point where I came out in tears. $35 is a lot of money, you don't get an option to buy a guide book before you go in, only an audio guide for $7.50, which you obviously need to buy as there is minimal information about the artefacts inside. When you get in, the 10 rooms mostly consist of artefacts from his ancestors, the 'dazzling array' of possessions from his tomb is minimal.
Billed as a great travelling masterpiece? I don't think so. It’s been claimed that the exhibition is travelling around the world to allow for a new museum to be built in Egypt. It must be a really small museum, as there’s only one full size sarcophagus, and it’s not even his! Using the iconic image of Tutankhamun’s gold mask is also false advertising as it is not to be seen, just the golden canopic coffinette which contained his liver.
Sending 60 people in at a time, but allowing them all to spend all day in there causes major blockages, we chose to go to the second session this morning and could barely move in some rooms. The preview pictures on the website are also from entirely different layout of the exhibition.
While this comment may be long, I am still apoplectic, so words are actually failing me. If I thought I could have asked for my money back, I would have, but the girls in the shop after the exhibition were too busy having a conversation for me to interrupt them. All in all, a wasted visit, and as I'd been looking forward to it for months, a huge disappointment.

Went and saw Tut's artifacts. I was under the impression Tut's sarcophagus would be there, as I think the advertising was not specific enough. My bad. Anyway, the exhibition was set up nicely for what it was worth, but had a real issue with overcrowding. Every half hour they allow a room of about 50 - 60 people in from what I saw to enter, but it was all too packed as the different groups caught up in within the first and second rooms. Stepping on peoples toes, spent half the time bumping into people. Spoke to several people who thought the same, was very hard to get into it with the overcrowding. Well I don't want to whine on about the negative this, but the artifacts were great. I gave it 6.5 out of 10.

Still debating if to book. I am very concerned about the comments about overcrowding and especially that the catalogue is already sold out and no longer available less than half way through the exhibition. Can I ask why wasn't the catalogue in one of the packages? A package with 'ticket, audio, exclusive merchandise and a soft drink' isn't as attractive as a package containing ticket, audio, & the catalogue (or some exclusive photos of the treasures) Better still, if there was a pack for 2 with 2 tickets, 1 audio to share, and both a catalogue and a set of pics. When I see 'exclusive merchandise' I bet its a promotional baseball cap I'll never wear and a bookmark!? If we go it will be 2 tickets and one audio, and the hope there is something left in the gift shop worth buying.

My partner an I were really looking forward to this exhibition and were totally let down. Crowded, over hyped excuse to sell souvenirs and make money. Far too crowded to realistically see all items a majority of which were not even related to tutankhamun. Really really dissapointing

Hi
I'll be attanding next wendesday but I'm concerned that is Qantas strikr that day I may arrive later than my ticketed time. I'm travelling with an elderly companion and we are only down for the day then flygin home that night. If we are delayed can I still see the exhibit? it's for my grandmothers birthday you see and I don't want her to miss out after travelling all that way.

I was so excited to get Tickets for Xmas!! Then..I was bitterly disappointed at the exhibit....Of course the artifacts were wonderful. Pity about the over-crowding, three school groups who constantly pushed me about, same school groups being so rowdy and lack of attention to this by exhibit staff. I used to go to the museum at least once every couple of months and tried to make the big exhibitions..now? Sorry, won't be coming back.

Frankly, this exhibit was dry and much of it boring. But I'm seriously annoyed that *none* of the items shown in the advertising for this exhibit are actually here in Australia. Isn't that false advertising?

The sign at the entrance to the exhibit said no prams. I'm not sure why this is not enforced. The rooms were packed and many parents pushed large prams full of distressed children around the exhibits, bumping into others who stopped to view. I guess the only way to make sure this doesnt happen is to print it on the tickets, if it can be done for alcohol etc it cant be too hard. Folks who still turn up with prams could then be asked to leave them in a cloak room. Or carry their infants. Our three year old lost interest as soon as he realised it was dark inside and was carried without any inconvenience to other visitors

to think his mask would be on display is ridiculous....time to book a airline ticket guys cause that thing an't movin from cairo ever!!!
lol
over crowding? of course.........
unless u want to pay 100+ dollars a ticket lol
egypts history is everyones history(just about :)) and i prefer everyone see it then a select few of people who would of complained anyway!
thumbs up Melbourne Museum!! wonderful job as always, what a privilege we have had in our tiny city to see such old artifacts thank you egypt.

Ive got tickets for 4th June. Very excited. Interesting reading all these coments!Customer Service Team, you are doing a great Job! Well done. David caldecoat, you are a wealth of info. I know its going to be "busy" and I am aware of what will and "wont" be displayed, but what a privellage to have this in our home town, 1000's of years after these artifacts were made. I cant wait.

I Came all the way from Brisbane for 1 day to see this exhibit, FANTASTIC!! Don't know what all the complaining is about. I had a much more arduous time getting there than most and was under major travel time constraints. Spent 2 hours in the exhibit and wish I could have stayed longer. Went in the afternoon NO SCHOOL KIDS! Beautifully presented and very well organized, NO problems with rude people at all!! The artifacts are exquisite. Shame on the lot of you whingers!! Get on a plane and go to Egypt if you want better. $30 won't buy you much today and to actually be able to see such things in your lifetime in YOUR own country NOT theirs is a privilege. Thanks so much to the Museum for this wonderful show!! Don't miss the National Geographic room (next to the exhibit) with the replica mummy, very very interesting. TUT TUT I say (pun intended) to the nay sayers!!!

I was very disappointed by the exhibition. It was very expensive if you see the 15 minute 3D movie, the audio tour as well as pay for entry to the exhibition itself. All need to be paid for separately. The 3D movie was satisfactory but far from excellent. The display potential of the 3D medium was not maximized. The audio tour held precious little additional information to that printed on the exhibit descriptors on each individual plinth, mount and glass casings. Very disappointing. The exhibition itself was very expensive and mostly minor pieces bar one, let's be honest shall we. It is clearly a financial exercise in false advertising as the mask of Tutankhamun which is on the majority of the advertising and marketing paraphernalia is NOT at the exhibition. There were spelling errors on the exhibit descriptors, eg. "iconography" was spelt incorrectly as “iconagraphy”. For an exhibition of this calibre that has been running in state for circa three weeks this is reprehensible and careless.

We just got back from our disappointing Tut exhibition experience. It's a shame that so many people are crammed through - 60 people every 6 minutes? It's claustrophobic, people fall over anyone in a wheelchair or with pram and despite the usher's talk at the entry about not having to queue, the sheer volume of people necessitates this. The design is hideous - too dark, making it airless with close and angled placement of some items near entrances clogging entrances. As well, the 'milking audience factor' $8.50 for a 15 minute 3D movie - another $7.50 for audio guide - on top of entry prices is outrageous. My 10 year old daughter commented on the huge amount of reading and watch only - where is this child friendly? She suggested sample papyrus and papyrus activity corner, internet booths so children can look up facts, even clothing to try on could have made this exhibition far more interesting for children - or even a question and answer sheet. We have visited major museums in Europe so perhaps our expectations were heightened but not to even have a real mummy on display was very disappointing. Not to mention the queues to get in despite timed entry and to expect people to pay extra for everything - including audio guides- we're unlikely to choose to attend these exhibitions again in a hurry. It's left a sour taste in our mouths in regards to the Museum - that you sanction this type of exhibition organisation. Worse that you apparently don't make much money from it was what the guide as we queued advised making it even more disappointing that the money is not supporting the museum.

My husband and I spent a fortune on air tickets and accommodation to be in Melbourne for this exhibition so this was not a $70 let down for us. I believe that this is a once in a life time opportunity and could not wait to get inside to see the display. I can handle the crowds, the pushing, the screaming 2 year old that clearly was not enjoying the evening but I could not believe it when we reached the end of the exhibit and had not seen Tutankhamen's funery mask or coffin! What a total disappointment :-(

Went to the exhibit on Sunday 22nd May, one word, OVERCROWDED, I ended up skipping a few exhibits after standing there for 10 minutes and not getting close enough to view the contents of the case. My wife pushed our kids to the front so they could see. I must agree with previous comments that the exhibit was a bit dry, we definitely left with a sour taste in our mouth, I don't think we will be going back to Melb. museum for a long time, can't go though that again.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will be in Melbourne until 6th November 2011. Tickets are currently on sale until 16th Oct 2011 and Travel Packages are available until 6th November from Showbiz. Information on single Tickets past 16th Oct 2011 will be released soon.

I recently visited the tutankhmen exhibit with my tewo adult chidren.While the exhibit has some very old and well preserved artifacts from his and other tombs, we were left disappointed with the final room where we had expected to see one of his sarcophagi or his death mask,not just jewellery/furniture/canopic jar...We felt that the advertising was misleading and the whole experience left us feeling a bit underwhelmed..

For those that have bought premium tickets to the Tutankhamun Exhibition there is an express line they go through. It takes on average about 1 1/2 hours to go through the Exhibition but you can spend as much time as like in there but once you exit you are unable to re-enter.

What a privilege to see this exhibit yesterday. Truly beautiful and amazing artifacts and a well laid out exhibition. The early rooms about Egyptian life and his ancestors give great context for the later rooms. A much larger exhibit than the terraotta warriors in Sydney. To anyone yet to go I would recommend the audio tour as it gives you so much more detail, it really made the exhibit all the more enthralling. My favorite was the sarcophagus of yuja, what a tremendous piece, and the golden shabti box of tutankhamun's wife (I can't spell her name sorry).
I wish I could have gone again but had to make my flight.
If you stay to the back of your group by the 2room the crowd thins out as people move ahead and you can get through quite well.
Congratulations on a truly memorable experience.

Have just visited the exhibition and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The crowd moved around at different paces so I was able to see all the exhibits and was sometimes standing there on my own. It was a true privilege to be given the opportunity to view these 3,000 yr old treasures. Thankyou to all concerned

Hi, my husband & I are hoping to get to see this exhibit this week. We were planning to spend the entire day at the museum as the last few times we have visited we have not been able to get see everything we wanted to see. I have been told that entry into the rest of the museum costs more - on top of the admittance fee to the Tutankhamen exhibition. Is this so?

My wife and I went to this wonderful exhibition today. Some constructive feedback if I may. It was very tiring to have to stand so long in the queue and then the holding area prior to entering the screening room. Then again in the pre exhibit screening room. My wife was so tired she resorted to sitting on the floor. These areas should be seated areas. Also confess to being disappointed that Tutankhamun's face mask and sarcophagus were not included in the exhibition.

well after reading these comments I'm afraid that my wife could not cope with rude shoving people and massive crowds...and there seems to be issues with whether its actually about King Tut at all. Too expensive to be shoved around. Cant believe the govt condones this...Any response Customer Service team?

I went to see the exhibit today and thought it was fantastic however it was quite overcrowded. I must say everyone behaved very well though, if you wait your turn you get to see everything (Just allow plenty of time!) I think more information could have been provided on the exibits, It's fortunate I've done quite a bit of prior reading and doco watching on Egypt but even then it tuned into a bit of a discussion with people around about various things as the info wan't there. I also agree about the prams- very large and difficult to move in an overcrowded room- I thought smaller prams were to be leant out? I'll admit to being disappointed about the mask not being there as the ads do look like that is what is there (I wasn't aware it couldn't leave Egypt) but there was lots of other very cool artifacts there. Some were stunning and you wont see better without a trip to Egypt! Worth a look if you have an interest in Ancient Egypt

I was wondering what days (if any) are not as busy there. Wanting to go see. I gather maybe during the week. It amazes me people wouldn't realise that its going to be packed. People in Melbourne are lucky to have this there. I'm coming from Adelaide to see it. If people knew Egypt history they would know the mummy would never leave Egypt. I wouldn't want it to be moved as it is too important to be ruined. Can not wait to see it.

We strongly recommend that you pre-purchase your tickets well in advance before visiting the museum, due to the high demand for session tickets. We cannot guarantee that you can obtain tickets at the Museum for the same day as sessions are selling out in advance.

Purchase your tickets online at http://kingtutmelbourne.com.au/tickets.html and follow the links to Ticketek; or call Ticketek on 132 849. If you choose the Ticketek “ezyticket” option to receive your tickets, you must print these and bring them with you to the museum to avoid additional delays.

All school groups, and any group of 15+ wanting a group discount, must book through Ticketek Groups on 03 9299 9030.

Other ticket package options are available through http://kingtutpackages.com.au/

The best availability of tickets is currently mid week after 12.30pm, not including school holidays

We flew down from Sydney on Saturday to see the exhibition and after seening a few comments on here was a little worried. I was shocked....what were people thinking who put negative comments on here??? It was amazing, better than I had ever imagined. We went on Saturday at 2pm and it was very busy, but everyone behaved very well, the people moved through at a slow yet comfortable pace. No one got in your way and were very careful not to be inconsiderate. The staff were helpful and ran the crowds very professionally. Well done Melbourne Museum. The exhibition was set out excellently, the exhibits were amazing...
I was a little dissappointed in the audio tour and the movie, but they were minor things. The gift shop was typically over priced trinkets but hey, if your into that type of things it was fine. We really really enjoyed tutankhamun, thank you.

I visited the exhibit, and was very impressed, yes it was busy, but everyone was polite and after waiting towards the back of the crowd, often I was able to get up close to the artifacts. Well done Melb Museum for a wonderful exhibit and allowing us to experience a part of the imortal boy king of Egypt.....thankyou

Went today and the displays were wonderful, but you are allowing way too many people in per session. I also felt anyone in a wheelchair or pram simply got in the way which shouldn't be the case and wouldnt be if you didn't try cram so many people through. Also noticed the noise above at one stage.

Greetings Discovery Center from Bangalore, India. I did write to you on 5th April of my coming visit to Oz, and to the exhibition of King Tut. As a senior citizen from India 64 years of age, do you give discount for other county persons, apart from Australian nationals. Would appreciate your reply on this page. Thanks, Peter Rozario

GOOD AFTERNOON
My husband and I are Qantas Staff , and we will be visiting the museum on the 10th of July , could you kindly let me know , if Qantas staff gets a discount on the entry fee .
Many Thanks and Rgs
Claudia Cahill

I went to see the exhibition last weekend and I have to say that I was disappointed that you didn’t have translations of the hieroglyphs. You do know that there was this object called the Rosetta Stone that has allowed us to translate hieroglyphs for nearly 200 years now?
Yes, some of the pieces did have general information on what the hieroglyphs say, but for the most part you just explained what the object was used for i.e. ‘this is a canoptic jar that held Tutankhamun’s organs’, or ‘this is Tutanhamun’s sarcophagus with prayers written on it’, but it would have been nice to know precisely what was written to give context to the objects by being able to understand their thought patterns and their belief system.

Dear Dawn Charles,
This is written on the website:
This is the first time artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb have come to Australia.Another show, called Gold of the Pharaohs did, however, visit Australia from 1988-89. This exhibition did not include artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb, but focused on the material from royal tombs of the 21st and 22nd Dynasties.

I stumbled on this comments page whilst doing research on attending the exhibition and all I can say is how embarrassed I am with the comments in some of the posts, in particular the 'complaints' that arose because the writers did not bother to pay any attention to detail and made assumptions. The repeat queries that have been asked over and over (and are easily answered via the website) is incredible - particularly where there are numerous instances of the same ones being in view on the one page without having to scroll up or down.
Most disappointing however are the whiny tones and the propensity to complain about common side effects of living in a society.
A few points:
* yes, there are children in the world and some of them will have parents who take them to the exhibit whether age appropriate or not as they do not have other options available to them.
* It will be crowded because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hang in there for the first couple of rooms as it seems it will even out when the morons who didn't do their research huff through at an advanced rate missing an experience in favor of finding more to complain about such as hearing people in the cafe and gift shop.
* People will ignore signs regarding prams and take them in - they probably disobey the 12 items or less rule in supermarkets also. Some people don't care about etiquette and no one calls them out on it. Make them accountable and apply some peer pressure yourself. As a fellow viewer of the exhibit you have rights. If you don't want to do this yourself then would you want to take on these people all day as a museum employee?
* School groups will come through and have every right to. If the students aren't behaving appropriately then let their teachers know - try keeping an eye on every kid every minute. The ratio of teaching staff to kids doesn't allow this.
* To all who wrote to so cleverly point out, incorrectly, that this exhibition has been to Australia before I note that most of you state you were children at the time you saw said exhibition. This means you were one of those annoying kids you are now suggesting should be kept apart from everyone else. Rather ironic that you still hold vivid memories of your time viewing those replicas but don't think kids today should get the same right. How are they meant to learn appropriate social behaviours?
* Since when is it anyone's responsibility but your own to work out how to get from A to B?
* I struggle to see how a MUSEUM should also be an accommodation/flight/ticket broker also.
* It would have been nice if the rude and incorrect queries had been followed up with an apology when MV very politely replied with the correct information. It would have taken a lot of strength to take the higher road with some of them.
The UK can stop worrying about having the title 'Whinging Pom' as it seems Australians are well on their way to taking it off them.
*

wow what a disappointment you pick a time queue get let in to the exhibition in little burst only to find yourself competing with 300 other people to see one artifact. Tthe artifacts are amazing dispite the dissapointment of not seeing the actual sarcophagus of king kit just a poor video image at the end. All in all I would love to see this display with max 30 other people but the museum is obviously he'll bent on milking this for the time they have it and do not care if you actualy get to enjoy or see this exhibition. You are ushered out at the end straight in to the gift shop with the hope you will purchase a comemerative tie to take home and remember this sardine like occasion.

Have decided not to take my mother and aunt afterall as the time waiting and crowd numbers factors would spoil it for them. We are in Melbourne from Perth for a week but I can't risk it. Both are users of mobility chairs.

Hi,I am planning a short break in Melbourne at the end of October and wanted to make sure that single tickets will be available for purchase to the exhibit for the dates 16th octber to 6 november. I have registered for the newsletter but was wondering when the tickets will be going on sale.

Hi, I just wanted to say what a WONDERFUL job you are doing answering everyones questions! I suggest to everyone posting rude comments to do some reserch. Have a look at a photo of King Tuts death mask, then compare it to the image on the museum displays - they are CLEARLY not the same, it is a well known fact the death mask can not leave cairo!
And for everyone claiming this is not the first time the exhibit had been to australia - again, do some reserch! The exhibit that was here years ago was NOT about tut and held mostly replicas.
The discovery centre is doing a fabulous job answering everyones questions, help them out a little and read the responses posted already before repeating the same questions over and over.

I saw the exhibition yesterday and whilst I loved the content and enjoyed it immensely, I too was disappointed with the overcrowding and the rudeness of others and found the time I was there quite challenging. It seems that it is an ongoing problem with the exhibition but could be so easily solved by the Museum. The fact is that there are too many people in there at one time which could be helped by shorter entry intervals, eg 15 minutes. People who purchase the audio guide seem to believe that they have also purchased the right to lean on the glass casing making it difficult for other people to see the exhibit. This could be monitored by Museum staff - or a small barrier put around the cases. Finally, the other major factor yesterday were the large handbags being carried by people that constantly knock you as you progress through the exhibition. Again, this could be so easily avoided if people were checked prior to entry. A guy in front of me yesterday was told he couldn't take his back pack in but others were allowed in with massive handbags.
As Jo points out above, this could be viewed as whinging but I prefer to think of it as a bit of constructive criticism that might make the viewing experience of a once in a lifetime exhibition more pleasant and enjoyable for a majority of people. What is disappointing, however, is that these issues seem to have been a recurrent theme since the exhibition started and there doesn't appear to have been any attempt to rectify the issues.
However, all that said, I LOVED the exhibition and the glimpse into an ancient world and it was great to see it in Australia.

Hi,
We are three families (six adults and three children) and we want to visit the Tuthankamun exhibition. Two adults and two kids are Members of Museum Victoria. Considering this, I've tried every way to make the booking for all nine people considering the four with membership but without success. The site to purchase the tickets online doesn't have the option for Members and I would need to pay in full. Also, how do we get the discount prices only for 2 adults and 2 kids and not for the others?
I have called the numbers provided (132 849 and 131 102) to try to make the booking via the phone but that was without success as well. I've waited for hours on the phone without getting to speak with someone.
At this stage basically I got to a dead-end. I don't know what else to do in order to make a booking.
We want to make a booking for 3 July 2011 anytime between 11.00AM and 4.00PM. I found online that for 1.00PM session there were still enough tickets available to make a booking for nine people as we require.
Thank you for your help.

I also agree completely and wholeheartedly with Jo's comment (18 Jun 2011 21:15). I think everyone should read this comment first before thinking about having a whinge or reevaluate the patheticness of your whinge. Oh the audacity of some people... - you do realise this is an exhibtion (the only one of Tut in Australia) that is showing for the first time and would be undoubtedly of interest to a lot of people? If you cant handle crowds, i suggest stay home? Its incredibly ignorant to believe that it would not be overcrowded. (To people suggesting they would like to view the exhibtion with lesser people, does this not sound unrealistic and incredibly demanding? Ticket sales are to the public, and high interest is expected) It just goes to show Australians are now just too inconsiderate and have no commonsense nowadays, or maybe just have too many expectations. You just cant please them all!!!

I travelled from Qld last week to visit the Tut display and it was amazing! Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity. Unfortunately I couldn't get some of the thihgs I would have liked from the merchandise shop on the day of my visit. Is there any way I can order some of the books and other products now? Is a catalogue available online? Thanks

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will be in Melbourne until 6th November 2011. Tickets are currently on sale until 16th Oct 2011 and Travel Packages are available until 6th November from Showbiz. Information on single Tickets past 16th Oct 2011 will be released at the end of August.

Hi there
Some friends and I went to the exhibit Saturday just gone. Unfortunately we never had our personalised photo printed off and are now wanting to know if we can still do so???
I still have the receipt which has the ID code, date and time if that helps.
Thanks,
Stefan

I saw the exhibition last night at an MAV event and it was excellent - beautifully presented with fantastic artefacts. I also appreciated the extra exhibit on the DNA findings with the replica mummy. However, I found the background music irritating and monotonous. I would much rather view the exhibition with just the shuffling and comments of people around me.

Melbourne Museum has wheelchairs for hire for free, upon presentation of photo identification. You can collect wheelchairs from Museum Cloakroom or Tutankhamun Foyer Information Desk. Seating is also available throughout the exhibition.

This was a particularly boring experience in my life, with nothing sophisticated or detailed enough to surprise an intelligent being... $35 wasted for nothing... with crap rules like no drinks allowed inside...How pathetic is that??? Not recommended to adults. :(

This is responce to what Kevin wrote, what does one expect when seeing fanstastic egyptian works of art, to have a whole lot of drinks & food when seeing the exihbition. No I don't think so. I take it Kevin does not apreciate Egyptian Art at all. The Tutankhamun is not a boring Exihbition at all.

Thank you for providing your feedback regarding your visit to Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. It is unfortunate your visit did not meet your expectations. We have experienced significant visitor attendances and interest for Tutankhamun since April. The vast majority of the audience to Tutankhamun are adults, and whilst we appreciate there are mixed reviews about the exhibition online, we have been overwhelmed by the level of positive comments onsite from adults, families and children.

Part of our conditions of entry restricts food or drink inside the exhibition to safe guard exhibition objects and maintain cleanliness and a safe environment free from food and drink spills for the general public. This is consistent with all Touring Exhibitions. Thank you again for your feedback.

i live in nsw and recently went to the exibition, i purchased a couple of things from the gift shop at the end of the exibition. i was wondering if there was any way to purchase more items? if so, how?

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will be in Melbourne until 6th November 2011. Tickets are currently on sale until 16th Oct 2011 and Travel Packages are available until 6th November from Showbiz. Information on single Tickets past 16th Oct 2011 will be released at the end of August

We have a family membership (2adult +2children). In your email to renew our membership is:"discounted entry to temporary exhibitions". I'd like to ask you where can I found this discounted entry is how much will cost us. We are planning to to this tomorow.

We saw this earlier this week. Yes, I was disappointed not to see the full size death mask but the coffinette was just as beautiful. It is a small but perfect work of art and exquisite to see- a perfect miniature of the large death mask and sarcophagus. There is a full size gilded sarcophagus in the exhibit and we felt that the whole exercise was really worth seeing. I would advise visitors to go to an early morning session if possible as there is no limit to how long you can stay. Consequently it becomes more crowded as the day progresses. One small gripe- there were some really interesting photos of the tomb when Carter discovered it but these had no labels and there was nothing on the audio commentary to give more detail. In fact the audio commentary is a weak point. It is essential to understand what is being viewed but far too often it offered little more than the printed signs at each exhibit.

Not as good as I had expected. I was disappointed not to see more of the iconic objects. There were so many people that it was difficult to get close to the objects at times, although the labels (which were placed up high and on different sides of the vitrines) were helpful.
I felt like it was overall quite gimmicky and there was too much focus upon the atmosphere (lighting effects) and ambient pan-pipe/choral music which while it emphasised the objects' beauty, seem to hide the fact that there was no real depth in the display of the objects.
I found it a very materialistic experience. You exited the exhibition in a cramped visitor shop... what a coincidence! I felt like the beautifully displayed and lit jewellery (inside) was more like a marketing ploy to buy the hideously overpriced jewellery in the shop itself (I think there was one for about $11,000).
I thought the museum attendants were very professional and while at times I did feel like a herded cow, that the experience of the museum in general (the other exhibits) was enjoyable. It's just that the Tut exhibition was very underwhelming.

In the last July school holidays, my family travelled from Sydney, with another family to see the exhibition. My family only had tickets to the exhibition. The other family purchased the audio tour and saw the movie, which they said was very good. Even though it was crowded, we managed to see all of the exhibits and read all the information. It was a good over view of life at that time. The artefacts were so well preserved. Found it very interesting. Thought there could have been a bit more about the discovery of King Tuts tomb. The only disappointments were that you couldn't take photographs (even though digital camera has a museum setting(no flash))Always sceptical when it says no photography and you exit through a gift shop. Also the only catalogue of the exhibition available was a $60 hardback book, a bit steep. However, after reading some of the above comments, will look up the exhibition website to see what is available. We thought it was a fascinating exhibit. To see artifacts that were hundreds of years old was amazing.
(Also viewed the rest of the Melbourne museum, as it was included in the price. Had a great day at the museum.)

I have just been trying to book my tickets to the Tutankhamun exhibition through Ticketek and though My session booking went through OK, there wasn't any way that I could include a booking for audio tours. There was one for the film but not the audio tour. I tried ringing them but it is an automated voice contact and no questions could be asked.

To whom it may concern:
I attended Tutankhamun last night and unfortunately left feeling disappointed.
The artifacts themselves are of course amazing, however the behaviour of museum staff was not.
Patrons for the 7.30 session were not let into the exhibition until ten minutes before 8pm. This was fine, until we were soon told to move along through the exhibition as it would close at 9pm.
For an exhibition that is billed as a journey, it was certainly was a hurried journey. Because of the time constraints we could not read about all the items we were interested in, even when we skipped many in an effort to focus our attentions.
We were left with barely an hour to view this "once in a lifetime experience" and it turned out to be a very expensive hour. On top of the ticket price - which surprising was almost an extra $6 just because it happened to be a Saturday- visitors have costs like the booking fee, and the handling fee, and the parking in Carlton, plus the travelling time and petrol to get there for people like us who had made a special trip from far away.
However most disappointing was the attitude of the staff. They could be overheard in the galleries talking about how they couldn't wait to leave, and complaining about visitors who wanted to keep looking at the exhibition... Looking at the exhibition is what the guests had paid a lot of money for the priviledge to do! Furthermore, the two girls collecting the audio tours at the end of exhibition were in hysterics laughing and gossiping away. Good on them for getting on well and being friends, but don't blantantly talk about your social lives and spend ten minutes laughing like crazy not two meters away from some of the most famous and important artifacts from ancient Eygpt. The last gallery in an exhibition is supposed to be the most important, and it would have been wonderful to see it unrushed and without the gossip commentary...girls, have some respect for the dead guy!

Don't people realise that it would be very expencive insurance wise to have Tutankhamuns
sarcophagus or should i say any of his coffins out of Egypt and i don't think these treasures of his would be alound to leave Egypt at all. The same goes for this golden throne as for his manificent mask I don't think at all that it would travel as to what Mr hawass said that it is to fraglie to travel. Yes i do know that the media have been advertesing the wrong thing in avertising this Exihbition which is really sad, there is so much more to Tutankhamun than his Mask

I attended the exhibition yesterday and plan to go again very soon. The layout of the exhibits was very pleasing, although a little more background information would be a great thing for those of us who don't profess to be experts. Also, having the guidebook available to purchase before going into the exhibit would be helpful.
The staff were very accommodating and were very happy to answer questions - going to great lengths to discover answers to some questions they were unable to answer themselves.
The quality of the exhibits was superb. I really do not understand some of the complaints I have read here. Perhaps some people are never happy?
Yes, the exit is through the gift shop but there is absolutely no pressure to buy anything and there are some lovely things to look at in there as well.
I for one am extremely grateful that this tour was organised as I would never be able to travel to Egypt to see them myself.
Well done to the Melbourne Museum!

We recommend that you pre-purchase your tickets if possible. Preference is given to pre-purchasing as there are no tickets reserved for on-site sales. Pre-purchasing for weekend attendance is especially encouraged as tickets sell out fast.

Terri
19 August, 2011 04:41

I am very excited to be visiting Melbourne when the Tut exhibit is on. I missed the exhibit when it was traveling the US and those I've talked to who saw it here in the US had nothing but praise for it. I planned an 11:30am visit so I can see the 3D movie first and have plenty of time to see all the museum has to offer. I've been doing internet searches to learn more about Egypt and it's history (as it's not a subject I've well versed in). I look forward to my visit and will take some of the advice about hanging back a bit to let the crowds thin. Hey, I know my visit to the Melbourne Museum will be an all day event:)!

I am interested in visiting the exhibition and will be in Melbourne from 2nd-5th November. I notice that it says it is now on till 4th December but I find that through Ticketek I cannot buy tickets beyond 16th October. Just wondering if any further times will be made available soon.

From Adelaide.
Thank you for the most engrossing two hours spent in the Age of the Pharoahs exhibition. I have been close to Egypt several times, but unrest there always stopped a visit to Cairo Museum. I tried to see the exhibition in London {could it really have been in the 70s?} but the queues were enormous.
Finally I've had a a glimpse of the wonderful things.
My congratulations and thanks to all concerned with the organisation - no waiting for people who prebooked, nor crowds or hassles of any kind. Altogether a lovely stay in Melbourne[after 30 years] with my nationwide family in one place for three days.
Bravo!!!!

The display of the objects in terms of lighting and presentation was inadequate and disappointing.
For the most part one could not easily enjoy a 360 degree view of the object to explore the craftsmanship employed by the artisans.
Boxes with lids could have been pitched slightly open to enable viewing of interiors;
Indeed the worst sin of all was that objects were presented in cases that were oriented too high off the floor for the viewer - even on tip toe one could not see the top of the object unless you were 6 ft 4. Where does that leave people in wheel chairs and indeed children whose view would have been markedly reduced. Objects such as diadems, staffs and so on could have been presented horizontal so that people could explore them from every angle. Only the sarcophaus was presented at a level that everyone of every height could see adequately from any angle.
The contribution of video was under utilised - where was the background vision giving the visitor a snap shot view of Egypt thus anchoring the objects to locations. A sequence of stills would have been sufficient if moving pictures were too expensive to produce. The tourist board of Egypt missed a valuable marketing opportunity.

I have visited the exhibition 5 times, twice in Melbourne and am still excited by it. It is very special to have these exquisite art works in Melbourne at last. For best viewing, avoid the school holidays. Congratulations to the Museum; please bring more quality exhibitions to us in future.

I took my two children to see the exhibition at the weekend and thought it was fantastic. The children had been learning about Egypt in School and for them to see some of the artefacts was incredible. The exhibition is amazing. Congratulations.

I loved the exhibition it was so interseting and it was layed out very well. I myself can read the hieroglyphic script and have visited Egypt last year.I got to see Tutankhamun's amazing death mask and other treasures.I went to the exhibition one day before my birthday. I have been studying Egypt as a hobby for 3 years and have reaserched about many of the artefacts.TO TUTANKHAMUN LIFE!PROSPERITY!HEALTH!

The marketing of this show is misleading - you should not have to read the fine print when the iconic "face" of Tutankhamun's tomb is used to promote everything. The organisers know it's misleading - when you're herded into the show they make you wait while they play a video (their disclaimer) about the death mask not being there. The interpretive material on the Armarna Period is really bland and there is nothing exploring the unmissable femininity of Akhenaton's appearance, despite there being plenty of research on this matter in the last two decades. Save your money and see it in Cairo!

At the Tickets and Times section of the web-site is this promotion for pre-purchase during Seniors Week for Post Seniors Week Off Peak tickets. No mention is made that this offer is restricted in any way. (MY wife and I are retirees with a Victorian Seniors card) However when one goes to buy tickets the only "Special Price Option is for Concession which SPECIFICALLY excludes Seniors except Commonwealth Seniors (= Health Care Card holders)
"Seniors Week - Purchase a ticket to Tutankhamun during Seniors Week (2 – 9 Oct) for offpeak sessions after Seniors Week at the special price of $26.50 and you will also receive an audio tour FREE of charge."

I have just been to see the exhibition this weekend and it was amazing! I do not know too much about Egyptian history but thought it gave a great overview of tutankhamun's life and times without being bombarded by too much detail that you would need to be an academic to understand. Congratulations on a job well done and i cant wait to see the next exhibition!

Excellent ! once in a life time. However, I don"t really understand why the audio tour was only in english? had booked tickets and audio tour months ago for relatives coming from overseas, never crossed my mind that it would only be in ONE language! never experienced this issue any where else in the world! Melbourne Museum should amend this asap.

Have been enjoying the lectures that accompanied the Tutankhamun exhibition when to the last one that was last Tuesday night,brillant. I think all the speackers had interesting things to talk about the Era of Tutankhamun, the sides that accomapned them where very clear and photos to where great. well done.

Like Dawn Charles (at the very top of the page) I too saw the same exhibition in the '80s & have recently seen the current one. Comparing the two, I preferred the 1980s display as it well lit so you could see clearly the finest detail of workmanship in all the pieces on view. To come face to face with Tutankhamun's death mask was, for want of a better word, literally a jaw dropping experience along with the massive gold sarcophagus. I didn't get the same "rush" this time around but the items on display were well worth seeing.

I have just been to see the tutankhmaun exhibition and loved it! It was fantastic to see these artefacts as i know i probably will never get the chance to see them in Egypt. Thank you for bringing them to Melbourne!

To Michael, I am glad the exhibition did not focus too much on Akhenaten. While there has been a lot of research on the Amarna period, I came to see artifacts from Tutankhamun not his father. My fav bit was the religious statues in the gold room, just fascinating and beautiful. Besides, covering the Amarna period would need a whole exhibition, just a thought for the future Melbourne Museum.

I saw the exhibition in May and have just been again. It is fantastic, well done to those responsible for it, not only the bringing of it to Melbourne but the design of the artifacts in the rooms etc. It was as good if not better the second visit. We took at least two and a half hours to see the rooms and about 10 minutes in the shop, and then another half hour in the Mummy room. If you have no desire to travel to Egypt or cannot afford to, this is the answer! Again thankyou to Melbourne Museum and those who went with me.

Was so looking forward to tuts exhibit I went on 20/11/11 thoroughly enjoyed the artifacts even endured the heat in the dark rooms and crying children thinking that when I reached the last room there would be feelings of awe and amazement at tuts death mask (or replica) but nooo absolutely nothing but disappointment please dont get me wrong tuts golden dagger and funeral jewelry were impressive but with all the posters and advertising I honestly thought i would see something remotely similar to what I'd been lead to believe by ads. My overall anticipation and excitement was severely let down I wish I had read reviews earlier but even then would have gone just to satisfy my own thoughts. I have never felt this strongly that I would publicly put pen to paper (so to speak)

My wife and I just visited the King Tut exhibit earlier tonight and we thought it was great! We spent about 5 hours here because there are a lot (over 130) of beautiful pieces, and we were reading about each and every one. For those of you who are planning to go, you should get the audio tour for the extra $7.50 because it gives a more comprehensive description of the more important artifacts that you don't get from the printed descriptions alone (audio tour fills in the missing gaps), and it makes the whole exhibit experience a more enjoyable one. There are 10 galleries for this exhibit, and we thought the Museum did a very nice job on the lighting and presentation for most of the artifacts. The only let-down of the whole exhibit was that the final gallery doesn't have much to offer, but you do see Tut's Golden Dagger and some of his Gold necklaces that were buried with him in his tomb. Overall, it was a very well-presented, very impressive and informative exhibit. For those of you who are Ancient Egyptian history buffs, this is one event that you don't want to miss!!

Its not the first time the treasures of King Tut are here, its the first time EVERYTHING is here. I am looking forward to spending the day with my husband tomorrow and touring around the exhibition. We visited the Titanic last year, cant wait to have photos of this one to go into our album.

Tacky disrespectful exhibit that kept asking for more cash. I felt very unappreciated as a customer and not even a tiny booklet or cheap pencil with the expensive exhibit. No real infomation inside the exhibit unless you pay for the audio tour. Not everyone can afford to pay an extra $8 for an audio tour. Books about it and dvds extremely expensive, tacky gifts, expensive bookmarks, and a (not free) photo with the corpse of Tutankhamun shows how respectful melbourne museum was. I don't ever want to return to the museum ever again. Nothing has made me feel as awkward and terrible as today's experience. Not at all worth the expensive cost, even as a concession card holder.

I bought two tickets (1 adult, 1 child) the night before my visit. Your website does not tell that I can buy a ticket in the museum but instead it is advising us to pre-book to “guarantee a ticket” and directed us to another website (kingtutmelbourne.com.au). I decided to buy the tickets from that website, paid extra $4.95 for transaction cost, on the belief tickets are not available in the gate.
I am displeased the way you inform on how tickets are to be bought. Your advertisement leads us to buy online though Ticketek.com. I could have save $4.95 ( 9 % of the total cost of the tickets) if the option of buying the ticket offline is clearly stated. When we went there today, there was a ticket sale booth and no queue at all! Probably people were buying online, having similar view with me.

hi, if the tut exhibition came back i recomend going to see it. i go to most exhibitions and i think that this one was my second favorite. one question, Did you have the actual King Tut tomb or was it someone eleses? i can't remember. :)